Clothing and equipment

What sort of clothing should I bring with me?
Clothing depends on place and time. Usually you will have warm days and cold nights. A warm jacket either fleece or down can be nice for the evening. Long under wear and wool socks are good for warmth too. We encourage people to bring a light pair of pants and shorts for hiking. Sunscreen and glasses are a must. Rain and hail can appear on a trek so we suggest a Gore-Tex jacket. Most gear can be purchased in Kathmandu or Pokhara at one of the many outdoor gear shops.

It is recommended that between October to February, woolen sweaters, jackets or similar other warm outfits are necessary. From March through May, light clothing such as short and long-sleeved shorts will do perfectly fine at Kathmandu, Pokhara and most other towns. For mornings and evenings, a jacket or heavy woolen sweater (you can find beautiful ones in reasonable price in Kathmandu) will be essential. For months from June to August, it is recommended that you bring an umbrella or raincoat and a pair of sandals with you as these months are the rainy months of Nepal. Expect lot of walking even if you don't plan to trek. So it's recommended that you bring comfortable footwear: sneakers and sandals are the best.

What type of shoes or boots should I wear?
If you intend to go for trekking proper footwear needed and depends on your trek. Shorter treks can be done in comfortable running shoes while longer ones require sturdy but lightweight hiking boots. In Kathmandu, you can find some outdoor gear shops selling or renting these items. If you want to avoid looking one another shops to find boots of your size, we encourage you to bring these items along with you after all – proper fit is a must.

Will I need any expensive equipment?
Clear guidelines with complete checklist for the selection of equipment are provided upon booking even though THIRDPOLE supplies tents, sleeping pads, cooking gear and all group equipment. You will need a sleeping bag. You may choose to purchase your hiking shoes in advance to assure proper fit. If you are very tall, you might wish to obtain your sleeping bag prior to arrival in Nepal where long sizes are rare. Most personal gear can be purchased or rented in Nepal.

What else should I bring along in a trek?
Most of what you need during a trek is available in Kathmandu, and you can buy them or rent them once you are there. Most books on trekking will list them; check one out before you embark on your trek. If you do not have a book yet and plan to get one only once you are in Nepal, there are some things you may want to bring from home. Bring earplugs to help you sleep in spite of barking dogs. A battery operated short-wave radio can be helpful to listen to weather reports or the news. Also bring along a pocketknife, sunscreen, bug spray, sunglasses, photographic equipment, binoculars, a compass, a good watch with possibly an altimeter, and a day pack. Others, you can buy or rent in Kathmandu for reasonable price.